Disposible Ice Patch For Shoes

ABSTRACT

The present invention relates to a disposable ice patch for shoes that can be temporarily affixed to the sole of a shoe by means of an adhesive. The patch includes flat and rectangular panel with a plurality of opposite surface layers disposed thereon. The first of the plurality of surface layers includes an adhesive that is protected by a removable thin plastic film and allows the patch to be instantly affixed to the sole of a shoe. The second of the plurality of surface layers includes an abrasive gripping surface that provides extra traction in slippery conditions such as ice or snow. The ice patch has a thickness of ⅛ of an inch to ensure that the abrasives gripping surface comes in contact with the slippery surface prior to the sole of the shoe in order that slipping will be prevented.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

The present invention relates to a disposable ice patch that can be temporarily affixed to the sole of a shoe for improving the traction between the shoe and slippery surfaces such as snow and ice.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Icy and snowy conditions often increase the risk of slipping and falling. Over the years, a number of inventions have been developed relating to improving the traction of shoes in slippery conditions. The following U.S. patents are representative of some of those inventions.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,143 issued to Michael Bell discloses an integral one piece unit molded out resilient material, and adapted to fit onto a person's footwear to provide improved traction on snow and ice.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,574 to Weisbeck discloses a connector for footgear and a variety of specific step on devices using flexible gripping means such as hook or loop fasteners.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,889,401 to McDonald discloses spaced side by side elongated traction members snap clamped to the sole of a shoe made from a single length of spring metal.

While these inventions fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose a disposable ice patch for shoes.

Many of the other shoe traction enhancing devices on the market involve utilizing straps, clips, plates, hooks, or fasteners, and can't be instantly attached or removed; therefore, it would be desirable to have a disposable ice patch that can be temporarily affixed to the sole of any shoe in an instant. A need exist for a self-adhesive traction enhancing patch that does not need to be sized to a particular shoe, nor does it require the use of special clips, hooks or fasteners. A further need exist for such a patch that can be attached instantly when slippery conditions such as snow and ice are periodically encountered and easily removed when not needed.

Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use shoe attaching traction devices, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a disposable ice patch which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) self adhesive; (2) does not require special hooks or clips for installation; (3) has a ⅛ inch thickness to allow the gripping abrasive surface to come into contact with the snow or ice prior to the sole of the shoe; (3) does not need to be sized to a particular shoe; and (4) can be easily installed, removed, and stored. The aforementioned desired characteristics are provided by the unique disposable ice patch for shoes and will be made apparent from the following description thereof.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

To achieve the forgoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described, provides a disposable ice patch for shoes ice patch for improving the traction of shoes, the patch comprising a flat and rectangular panel comprising a plurality of opposite surface layers disposed thereon. The first of the plurality of surface layers include an adhesive that allows the patch to be temporarily affixed to the bottom surface of a shoe. This adhesive is protected by a thin plastic film. The second of the plurality of surface layers includes an abrasive gripping surface that provides extra traction in slippery conditions such as ice or snow. The ice patch has a thickness of ⅛ inch to ensure that the abrasives gripping surface comes in contact with the slippery surface prior to the sole of the shoe in order that slipping will be prevented.

The patch is attached to the shoe by peeling away the thin plastic film to expose the adhesive surface and placing the adhesive surface securely against the bottom surface of the shoe. In the preferred embodiment, the patch may be affixed to the bottom of any footwear to include but not limited to boots, dress shoes, and sneakers. In yet another embodiment, the patch may be decreased or increased in sized to accommodate other types, and sizes of footwear.

The above brief description set forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description that follows may be better understood. It is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being carried out in various ways.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved shoe traction enhancing patch, which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.

A primary advantage of the present invention is that it is easily and quickly installed and removed from a shoe.

It is another object of the present invention to provide a disposable ice patch for shoes that can be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.

Another advantage of the present invention is that the shoe does not have to be removed to place the patch on the shoe.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved shoe traction enhancing patch that does not have to be sized to a particular shoe.

A further advantage of the present invention is that the disposable ice patch can be easily and conveniently stored.

The foregoing features and advantages of the present invention will be described in detail subsequently and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be better understood and objects other than those set forth above will become apparent when consideration is given to the following detailed description thereof. Such description makes reference to the annexed drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view of the disposable ice patch affixed to the bottom surface of a shoe.

FIG. 2 is a bottom view of the disposable ice patch which is the abrasive surface.

FIG. 3 is a top view of the disposable ice patch which is the adhesive surface.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the patch showing the different layers and surfaces.

FIG. 5 is a front view of the disposable ice patch.

FIG. 6 is a side view of the disposable ice patch.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In the following descriptions certain specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of various embodiments of the invention. With reference now to the drawings, and in particular to FIGS. 1 through 6 thereof, a new disposable ice patch for shoes embodying the principles and concepts of the present invention will be described.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 1 though 6, the disposable ice patch for shoes comprises a flat and rectangular panel comprising a plurality of opposite surface layers disposed thereon. The first of the plurality of surface layers include an adhesive that allows the patch to be temporarily affixed to the surface of a shoe. This adhesive is protected by a thin plastic film. The second of the plurality of surface layers includes an abrasive gripping surface that provides extra traction in slippery conditions such as ice or snow.

In closer detail of FIG. 1, the traction enhancing patch 10 is provided for attachment on a pair of shoes 11. The patch in its simplest form may be added to the bottom surface of a shoe without the need to remove the shoe. When adverse weather conditions are suddenly encountered, a person will now have an easy, affordable, and convenient way to rectify the problem on the spot. With the ease of installation, that does not require any special attachments or devices; a person can prepare their shoes for icy pavements in an instant. When snow and ice is encountered after a person is at work or school all day, they can simply pull out the disposable ice patch, attach it to the sole of their shoes; and continue their day without worry. The disposable patch is lightweight and can be easily stored in a purse or backpack. It is also more convenient to carry than snow boots or shoes. Because the disposable ice patch can be attached to any shoes, it is a simple alternative to carrying or wearing special shoes in slippery conditions.

The disposable ice patch differs greatly from other traction enhancing devices because most of them must be permanently or semi-permanently installed. Some also must be sized to fit a particular shoe. This inventive patch is attachable anywhere on the sole that will be in direct contact with the ground as seen in FIG. 1. Thus, the present invention can be installed at anytime without removing the shoe. It should be understood by those having ordinary skill in the art, that one or more patches may be attached to each shoe depending on the weather conditions that will directly affect the need.

The invention is a traction enhancing patch preferably comprising a plurality of surface layers for attachment to a shoe and for contact with the ground. As shown in FIGS. 2, 3, and 4, the patch 10 comprises a plurality of opposite surface layers 13 and 14 and a thin plastic film 15.

With reference to FIGS. 2 and 4, the bottom view of the patch is the second of the plurality of surface layers that is adhesively coupled to the foam cushion mid panel 16 and has an abrasive gripping surface 13. This surface is preferably a roughed surface that provides traction.

With reference to FIGS. 3 and 4, the top view of the patch is the first of the plurality of surface layers that is adhesively coupled to the foam cushion mid panel 16 and has an adhesive surface 14. The adhesive surface when not in use is protected by a thin plastic film 15. The adhesive surface 14 is used to adhere to the sole of a shoe and hold the disposable ice patch securely in place. Once the patch is securely in place on the shoe abrasive surface 3 is exposed to come in contact with the ground.

FIG. 4 illustrates a perspective view of the disposable ice showing the different layers that it comprises. The mid panel foam cushion 16 is the base of the disposable ice patch with a plurality of surface layers 13 and 14 adhesively coupled to it. The top of the patch contains the adhesive surface 14 that attaches to the sole of the shoe. The adhesive surface 14 is protected by an adhesive cover which is a plastic film 15 that peels away to expose the adhesive. The bottom of the patch which is the second of the plurality of surface layers is an abrasive surface 5 that when in contact with the ground surface provides additional traction. The patch has a thickness of ⅛ of an inch, this ensures that the abrasives gripping surface comes in contact with the slippery surface prior to the sole of the shoe in order that slipping will be prevented.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate the front and side views of the patch. The front view shows the width of the patch that is about 1.25 inches while the side view shows the length of the patch which is about 1.5 inches.

The traction enhancing patch is designed to immediately add traction to a shoe in such adverse weather conditions as snow and ice. The patch is easy to use, attach, remove, and store; thus making it ideal over present shoe traction enhancing devices.

Thus, while the present invention has been shown in the drawings and fully described above with particularity and detail in connection with what is presently deemed to be the most practical and preferred embodiment(s) of the invention, it will be apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art that many modifications therefore may be made without departing from the principles and concepts set forth herein, including, but not limited to, variations in size, materials, shape, form, function, and manner of operation, assembly and use. 

1. A disposable ice patch for shoes, comprising: a flat and rectangular panel that is flexible for adhering to curved surfaces; said flat and rectangular panel having a plurality of opposite surface layers and a thin plastic outer film; said flat and rectangular panel having an adhesive on the first of said plurality of surface layers, wherein said adhesive allows the panel to be temporarily affixed to the sole of a shoe; said flat and rectangular panel having an abrasive gripping surface on the second of the plurality of surface layers, said abrasive gripping surface provides extra traction in slippery conditions such as snow and ice; said flat and rectangular panel having a thin plastic outer film attached to said first of the plurality of surface layers, wherein the outer film having a lesser thickness than the plurality of layers is flexible and can be peeled away to reveal said adhesive of the first of the plurality of layers on the panel.
 2. The disposable ice patch of claim wherein said flat and rectangular panel is composed of a foam cushion.
 3. The disposable ice patch of claim wherein said surface layers are flexible.
 4. The disposable ice patch of claim 1 wherein said surface layers can bend to fit the curved surface of the shoe.
 5. The disposable ice patch of claim 1 wherein said adhesive has a sticky surface.
 6. The disposable ice patch of claim 1 wherein said patch has a thickness of ⅛ inch.
 7. A disposable ice patch for shoes comprising: a flat and rectangular panel with a shoe surface side and a traction enhancing side; said shoe surface side having an adhesive backing that is protected by a thin plastic film, wherein said thin plastic film may be peeled away to expose a sticky surface that can be affixed to the sole of a shoe; said traction patch side having an abrasive gripping surface, wherein the surface; when in contact with slippery conditions, provides extra traction. 